Lack of funds is one of the main reasons why people refuse to travel. It seems to all that some incredible money is needed for this. However, the experience of the famous traveler Matthew Kepnese proves that this is not so.Matthew Kepnes (Matthew Kepnes), better known under the pseudonym Nomadic Matt, is an American traveler, the author of several bestsellers, and a blogger. He has published his works in the New York Times, CNN, National Geographic, Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal and the BBC.
Ten years ago he threw a boring job of a clerk and went to wander around the world. Since then, he visited nearly 80 countries and became a professional traveler. Now he shares with others his experience and skills, telling about how you can go everywhere and not spend a whole fortune. Here are some tips from his new book “How to travel the world for $ 50 a day.”
1. Do not book tickets and hotels too early
Many travelers-beginners are sure that the earlier you make a reservation, the cheaper it will be. However, this rule does not always work. Matthew Kepnes recommends booking air tickets no earlier than three-four months before departure. If you are planning a cruise or a package tour, you need to wait until the last minute.
Travel companies must fill out all the seats and sell all the permits, so sometimes they offer simply incredible prices right before the final date.
Matthew Kepnes
2. Do not dine close to the tourist places
Most of the tourists are moving along the beaten paths and are pushing around the famous sights. There are also many restaurants and cafes, which attract travelers with different exotic dishes on offer.
Never eat in these establishments! A constant flow of rich clients corrupts the staff, that negatively affects the quality of the dishes and their cost. For what to try, if rich tourists eat it anyway?
Walk a few blocks and find a place where all local people eat. Here you will be served really deliciously dishes, and the bill will pleasantly surprise you.
3. Avoid restaurants with a glossy menu in several languages
“If you sat down at a table and saw such a menu, then this is a sure sign of a trap for tourists. Run! “- says Matthew Kepnes. Instead, visit sites like Yelp, Foursquare or OpenRice to see which cafes and restaurants are really popular in the area.
4. Look for local carriers
The use of global search engines for ticket search is the right idea, but it’s not always necessary to dwell on it. Aviasales, Skyscanner and Momondo know about a huge number of airlines, but far from all of them.
If you need to organize a flight at the lowest price, then look for the sites of local and low cost airlines. Sometimes they offer prices much more profitable than the major players of the market. To find the lowest prices manually you need to spend time and effort, but the game is worth the candle.
And what other personal advice can you give for travel savings?